


101 Push-Ups

by martyfromthebasement



Category: Andi Mack (TV)
Genre: Coming Out, Fluff, Kippen Siblings, M/M, i’ll prolly add more tags as i go lol
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-15
Updated: 2019-06-22
Packaged: 2020-05-12 13:08:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19229749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/martyfromthebasement/pseuds/martyfromthebasement
Summary: An awkward situation in the gym leads TJ to contemplate his feelings for Cyrus. TJ knows that Cyrus won't reciprocate what he feels, but he's completely okay with that.If only TJ opened his eyes to what's right in front of him. Maybe then, he wouldn't be so doubtful.





	1. 1 ✧ 100 Push-ups

It was a brisk Saturday morning and TJ decided to spend it at the gym. Running into Buffy was a mere coincidence. The two acknowledged each other, but didn't talk much, as the only things they had in common were basketball and Cyrus Goodman.  
There were no longer any grudges between them, but their friendship didn't really exist outside of the time they spent with Cyrus.

TJ was quick to begin his workout. He stretched hastily before jumping right into what he considered, the 'good stuff'. His favorite machine was occupied so he opted to do push‐ups as he waited.

"1... 2... 3..." TJ counted his push-ups aloud staying quiet enough not to distract anyone around him. All was well until a certain brown‐eyed boy entered the gym and caught TJ off guard.

Feeling overwhelmed by Cyrus' sudden presence, TJ discontinued his counting. His face was radiant as he watched Cyrus scan the gym, presumably for Buffy. When Cyrus's gaze came close to his own, TJ figured he should stop staring. Before he was caught, he shifted his eyes back to the ground.  
Out of the corner of his eye, he could tell that Cyrus had noticed him. Instead of greeting him, TJ felt compelled to continue doing push-ups. He began counting at a much higher number, and projected so Cyrus would hear, "...98...99...100, and done!"

He hopped up and acknowledged Cyrus' presence as if he wasn't aware of his arrival, "Oh, hey Cyrus! I didn't see you walk in. How are you?" Buffy rolled her eyes from across the gym as she watched this whole event.

"Hey, Teej! I'm good, how about you?" asked the brunette, oblivious to Buffy's eye-roll. 

"Oh, I'm also good. Gotta love exercising, am I right?" TJ mentally slapped himself for that one.  
"Yeah, you know I love to exercise," Cyrus uttered hesitantly. TJ gave him a funny look. 

"I guess I'm not fooling anyone with that." Both boys laughed. 

Even Buffy let out a chuckle as she walked to her duffel bag, which caused the two to look over at her. She realized that her not-so-stealthy observation of the two boys had been exposed, so she spoke up.

"100 push-ups, huh?" She raised an eyebrow in disbelief. 

TJ tried to ignore her suspicious expression and responded, "Oh, um... uh yeah." TJ quickly glanced over to Cyrus, and was delighted to find that he had occupied himself by making faces in the mirror. When his gaze returned to Buffy, he found that the knowing grin across her face remained. Nevertheless, he composed himself and continued, "Why? Can't you do 100 push-ups, Driscoll?" He asked as he walked over to his own duffle bag.

"I most certainly can, Kippen. Can you?" Buffy smirked. TJ hoped that Buffy wasn't implying what he thought she was.  
Before he could respond, Cyrus walked over and asked, "You ready, Buffy?" The girl smirked, nodding and turning on her heels.

• • •

There was a comfortable silence between Cyrus and Buffy as they made their way to Andi's house. Cyrus was thoroughly enjoying the peace and quiet. He looked over and noticed the deep-in-thought expression on Buffy's face. He knew that this meant she had a question on her mind, and when Buffy had a question on her mind, she would ask it. He sighed and braced himself for the silence to be broken. They had almost arrived when Buffy blurted out, "So you and TJ...?"

He shot her a confused look. "What do you mean?"

"Nothing. Nevermind." She quickly replied.

Cyrus realized that they were approaching Andi's front door. Buffy walked up and knocked, and the door swung open before her hand could even hit the door for the second time.

"Hey guys!" exclaimed Andi. She ushered everyone inside and the trio made their way to Andi's room. The room wasn't big by any means, but the art pieces scattered about really helped to make it feel like home.  
Andi and Cyrus made themselves comfortable on Andi's bed before Buffy spoke up, "Mind if I go change? I'm still in my gym clothes."

"Oh, I could've waited for you if you needed to go in the locker room."

"No, it's fine. I try to avoid public gym locker rooms. They just feel so... unsanitary. You know?" A look of disgust took over her face. 

"No I do not know. Not being an athlete has many perks." Cyrus and Andi looked at each other and bumped shoulders. Buffy rolled her eyes  
"Do you wanna rinse off too?" asked Andi.  
"If it's not asking too much."  
"I think it'd be for the best of us all." Cyrus teased while fanning the air.  
Buffy feigned offense and stuck out her tongue, causing her friends to laugh.

"You guys can pick the movie. I'll be right back."

"Alright. Just don't touch anything that looks expensive. I do not want to have another family meeting about shower products." Andi looked into the distance as if she was having war flashbacks.

"Okay...?" Said Buffy as she headed toward the bathroom.

"Family meeting about shower products...?" Cyrus was both confused and intrigued.

"It's not a fun story." Cyrus dropped the subject after that.

"So... what movie do you want to watch?" Andi asked, standing up to grab her laptop. Cyrus shrugged, but was then hit with an idea.

"Oooooh um, I haven't seen To All The Boys I've Loved Before yet."

"Okay. That's an unexpected choice for you, Cyrus- oh wait! Does it have anything to do with Noah Centineo?" Andi asked with a mischievous smirk.

"No! I heard it has great representation, and I've read many positive reviews!"  
Andi's facial expression showed that she was unconvinced. "But yes, Noah Centineo is easy on the eyes."

"AHA! I knew it" They both giggled.

"It's okay to have an ulterior motive sometimes! Don't bully me!"

Andi stuck out her tongue and turned her head back to her laptop to search for Cyrus' requested movie. 

Soon after this, Buffy reappeared behind them. "Hey guys, I'm ba- is that To All The Boys I've Loved Before? Oh my gosh, this is why we shouldn't let Andi choose the movie. We are gonna end up watching every rom-com on Netfli-."

"Actually... Cyrus chose the movie."

Buffy's jaw dropped. "What?! And it's not a nature documentary?" She teasingly nudged Cyrus', shoulder. "I am shocked." Buffy's eyes shifted to the laptop, and soon after, a look of realization spread across her face. "Is it because of Noah Centi-"

"Nooo! Can't a boy just like a movie for it's plot?"

"Cyrus, you just told me you've never seen the movie."

"I have seen the commercials."

"Yeah, the ones with Noah-"

"And we are starting the movie!" He quickly reached over and hit the play button. Both girls let out a giggle. Today was a good day, Cyrus decided.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello and welcome! i'm not sure if you can tell, but this is my first fic. feel free to point out any mistakes, and don't hesitate to give feedback! i hope this has interested you enough to keep reading (:
> 
> social media:  
> @ martyfromthebasement on ig  
> @ goodmanhaircrew on twitter


	2. 2 ✧ My Clothes are Mine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amber steals TJ’s hoodie, but they work it out. They always do.

TJ's mind was buzzing as he walked home from the gym. His thoughts mostly consisted of: 100 push-ups? Really, TJ? Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

Deep down, he knew why he did what he did. He just wasn't ready to admit it, not even to himself.

TJ had been aware of his... lack of attraction toward the opposite sex... for a while. More recently, he had made the life-altering revelation that he was attracted to boys. He wasn't eager to put a label on himself, but in his heart, he knew.  
His unestablished sexuality was not the direct cause of his distress on his rather contemplative walk home. Instead, TJ's anxiety was a result of the developing feelings he had for his best friend.   
He was adamant in not letting these feelings ruin the most important friendship he's ever had. He felt understood by Cyrus. Talking to the kind-hearted boy was TJ's favorite thing to do. Their interactions felt so natural, and the last thing TJ wanted to do was cause any sort of tension  between them. What happened at the gym was awkward enough, and he definitely didn't want to revisit that.  
Preventing these feelings from surfacing wasn't too difficult at first. He just had to remember to keep eye contact for a normal length, don't let touches linger, that sort of thing.   
Now, it was becoming more challenging for TJ. He wondered when these inconvenient feelings would fade, so he could just go on with his life.

TJ was brought back to reality when he reached his front door. He got out his keys and fumbled with the lock before entering his house. "I'm home, loser," he yelled to his sister Amber as he entered the house.

"Wow, good to see you too, ugly." Her voice carried from the kitchen. "How was the gym?" She spoke while walking into the room and over to the couch.

"It was fine. I ran into Cyrus."

Amber paused and shot TJ a confused look. "At the gym?"

"He was picking up Buffy."

"Ah, that makes more sense." TJ snorted. She plopped down on the couch, and made herself comfortable.

"It's just us, so what are we gonna make for lunch?"

"I'm not sure. I was just checking to see what we have, and it's not too much. I'm probably just gonna make toast or cereal or something. Plus, I don't feel like cooking."

"Neither do I, so that's fine."

"Okay, now go shower, stinky." TJ stuck his tongue out at her, and walked up the stairs.

After his shower, TJ dried off and got dressed. He went into his room to grab his soft new basketball hoodie. He knew exactly where he had put it: on the hook next to his prized record player. When it was not there, he let out a frustrated sigh. With no doubt of who the culprit of his missing hoodie is, he grumbled some angry words under his breath and marched to staircase. "WHERE DID YOU PUT MY HOODIE, AMBER?" 

He heard her groan from downstairs before she yelled back in response, "In my room somewhere, I don't know!"

He angrily stomped down the stairs and stopped in the middle. "Why is it in your room?!"

Amber shot TJ a glare, "Because, I wore it?"

"But why?"

"I felt like it."

"That's a terrible answer, Amber. You have your own clothes!"

"Yours are comfier."

"Then buy your own comfy clothes!   
My clothes belong to me."

"I didn't see your name on it."  
"It's right on the back!"

"It says Kippen on the back, you dweeb! That's my name too!"

"W- well, that's just not fair."

"You are such a drama queen, TJ."

"Ha, look who's talking." Amber shot him a look that said: you really want to go there right now? Since TJ really did not want to go there right now, he took a deep breath and continued with a calmer tone. "I'm just annoyed, Amber. You know I like that hoodie."

Her look softened as she responded, "Yeah. I know."

There was a brief pause before TJ asked, "So... it won't happen again?"

Amber looked at him and laughed. "Just go grab your hoodie. I think it's laying by my dresser."

He rolled his eyes and trudged back up the stairs. "I'll be back down to help you with lunch."

"Sounds good, drama queen." TJ just snorted at this and shook his head as he went to retrieve his hoodie.

The Kippen siblings tended to do that a lot. Little things led to trivial fights, and those fights quickly de-escalated. The two siblings just cared about each other too much to stay angry at one another. With their parents gone so often, they've truly had to depend on each other.   
As much as the two bickered and butted heads, they had each other's backs more than anyone else. TJ and Amber were a team. Nothing could get between that, especially not some silly stolen hoodie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys! this is probably going to be the shortest chapter. it's purpose was just to introduce amber and to establish the kippen sibling dynamic. there will for sure be tyrus moments in the next chapter, but this part was necessary for later plots. hope you're enjoying this so far (:
> 
> social media:  
> @ martyfromthebasement on ig  
> @ goodmanhaircrew on twitter


	3. 3 ✧ It’ll Ruin My Outfit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cyrus is cold, but won’t put on his jacket. Buffy grows suspicious as a result of what eventually causes him to give him.

TJ's Sunday was entirely uneventful. He spent his time lounging around the house, scrolling through his phone, trying to distract himself from any unwanted thoughts. However, he found it extremely hard to keep his mind from drifting. He had so many questions whirring around his brain that he wanted nothing more than to ignore.

Laying in bed that night allowed his brain to do a whole lot more thinking. He had no way to distract himself from his thoughts as he restlessly stared up at his ceiling. He just wished he would fall asleep, but his busy brain prevented that from happening. He didn't know exactly what time his brain eventually gave in to sleep, but he knew that it was hours after he initially crawled into bed that night.  
—  
Waking up was especially hard for TJ that Monday morning. All the thinking that he had been doing recently was taking a toll on his sleep schedule.

He was thankful that despite his fatigue, he still managed to remember to grab a hoodie. The soft fabric could effectively combat the chilly winds of early spring. He relished in the warmth of his comfortable outfit on his way to school. Cuffed jeans and a hoodie was a TJ classic look that in the colder times of the year he didn't often deviate from.

Whenever TJ walked into school, he immediately felt warmer. This sudden surge of temperature was not only because of the heaters, but also from the anxiety that TJ felt just by stepping through those doors. It was nothing in particular, just your average school day anxiety.  
No matter how cold it was outside, he was always sweating by the end of the school day. The place that was supposed to be a welcoming environment for students to be instilled with the knowledge they needed for life, only caused TJ trauma and stress. He hated the feeling of being surrounded by so many rambunctious students. He knew that people thought he was intimidating, but they had no idea how he truly was: scared.

• • •

Cyrus sat shivering in his first period class. Buffy watched in annoyance as her best friend faced the consequences of not wearing warm clothes. "Please, just put on your jacket, Cyrus."

"But it'll ruin my outfit!"

"It's cold."

"I'm fine."

"You are shivering!"

"It's worth it." Cyrus crossed his arms defensively.

Andi chuckled from her seat and added, "You need to sort out your priorities, Cyrus."

"I have! And my outfit is more important!" Cyrus snapped.

"You are ridiculous," Andi muttered as she went back to her work.

"No, I am not. This is a great shirt, and I will not let it be covered up by my inferior jacket." Both Buffy and Andi were not swayed.

"Whatever. If I hear you complain though, I'm going to flip," advised Buffy.

"Well, I'm not going to complain."

"Fine."

"Fine."  
—  
First period ended, and the jacket-less boy was not getting any warmer. He and Buffy made their way to their next class, and Andi went to hers. As Cyrus walked through the halls, he may or may not have paused at every heating vent he passed.

He was glad TJ was in this class. The last time Cyrus had seen him was at the gym, where he had noticed TJ's behavior seemed a little... off. Not much thought was put into it though as he strolled into the classroom and greeted the tired-looking basketball player.

"Hey, Teej!"

TJ seemed like he was broken out of a trance as he jumped a little from the words. "Hey, Cyrus!"

Cyrus's expression shifted when noticed the usual enthusiasm was missing from his eyes. "Are you okay? You look a bit..." Cyrus chose his next word carefully, "... sleepy."

"Oh. Uh, yeah. I had a hard time falling asleep last night, not really sure why."

"Makes sense." That didn't seem like the whole truth, but Cyrus didn't push it.

There was a brief silence before TJ asked, "Um, are you cold?"

"No, why do you ask?"

"You're... shivering."

"Oh."

"Oh?"

Feeling playful, Cyrus responded, "I just shiver for fun sometimes, you know?"

TJ's tired look was replaced by his signature smirk. "Ah, yes. It looks like so much fun."

"It's a blast." TJ laughed as he took off his hoodie, revealing yet another basketball t-shirt. 

"Here," he disregarded Cyrus's look of confusion and handed it to the shivering boy, "So you don't freeze."

"Oh uh, you really don't have to."

"Come on, Cy. I don't want you to be cold all day."

"But what about you? Won't you be cold?"

"Nah. I was just going to take it off anyway."

"Are you su-"

"Yes, Cyrus," TJ interrupts. "Please, just take it."

"Well, okay," said Cyrus as he hesitantly took the hoodie. "If you insist."

• • •

TJ couldn't help but stare at Cyrus as he pulled the oversized hoodie over his head. He finally settled into the piece of clothing, and TJ smiled internally at the sight of the boy.

He felt his face grow warmer, but this time, a good warm. It was a warm evoked by a certain giddiness and adoration, rather than fear and nervousness. It was a happy kind of warm, that spread through his body like rays of sunshine. He could get definitely get used to this feeling.

Cyrus closed his eyes and snuggled into the fabric, causing TJ's heart to melt a little. All of this only led TJ to realize that this crush would be much harder to shake then he initially thought.

"You warm now?"

"Mhm," Cyrus responded without opening his eyes. TJ grinned.

Before the conversation could go any further, they were cut off by the bell and the entrance of their teacher. Everyone reluctantly walked to their seats. Even after the class started, TJ couldn't help but sneak glances at the boy wearing his hoodie, oblivious to anyone who may have been watching the whole scene play out.

• • •

Cyrus wasn't sure why he felt compelled to take the hoodie, but he certainly didn't regret it. That was until he met Buffy's eyes from across the room. Without saying a word, the look across her face conveyed to Cyrus that he would definitely have some explaining to do later.

When the class was over, Cyrus walked over to TJ, "So... when do you want this back?"

"Eh, keep it for now. You can just bring it back to me tomorrow."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. It looks good on you. See you at lunch." Without another word, TJ turned and walked away, leaving Cyrus to process everything that just happened.

Instead of processing anything, he watched fondly as TJ made his way down the hall, forgetting about all the questions his friends would pester him with later.

When Buffy came up behind him, he was snapped out of his peaceful daydream and brought back to reality.

"Nice hoodie." He jumped slightly from her words.

"Uh, yeah."

"You don't think it... ruins your outfit?"

"Nope."

"Hmmm... interesting."

"I'm gonna go to third period now, so uh, bye."

"Bye. We'll talk more later."

—

The one time Cyrus wasn't looking forward to lunch, it seemed to come all too quickly. He knew Buffy would use the time before TJ sat down with them to confront him about the hoodie. Cyrus really didn't like confrontation —on either end. 

He wasn't exactly sure what Buffy was going to say, but he did have an idea of what she suspected. He wasn't sure what his response would be if she asked him about it, though.

When Buffy approached their table, he tried to clear his mind and just wait for her to initiate the conversation.

"Hey," was the first thing she said.

"Hello."

"You're still wearing the hoodie."

"Correct."

"You were so worried about your outfit, Cyrus."

"Indeed, I was,"

"You think that hoodie matches? 

Cyrus only shrugged.

"No offense, but I don't think anything you own matches a basketball hoodie."

"Well, he just offered. I didn't want to be rude!"

"Hmmm, okay. Anything else?"

"I mean yeah, I was cold."

"Sure," she stated skeptically.

"Sure?"

"I just find it funny that you only changed your mind when TJ was involved."

That earned her an offended look. "What are you implying, Buffy?" 

Cyrus hadn't meant to get so defensive, but he really didn't like the direction their conversation was going. He hoped Buffy would pick up on his discomfort and move on. Fortunately, her best friend instincts seemed to kick in, and she dropped it.

"Nothing. Sorry, forget it."

"Okay."

Just when Cyrus thought the lunch table would settle into silence, Buffy spoke up, "But just so you know, you can talk to me. You don't have to wait until you have it all figured out before you tell me. I can work through it with you." She paused and put a gentle hand on his shoulder before continuing, "I'm not going to make you tell me things, but I just want you to know that it's always an option, alright?"

Despite the vagueness in her statement, Cyrus received the message loud and clear. "Thank you," he said, and went in for a hug.

Somehow, Buffy had said exactly what he needed to hear. He could feel the tension in his body that he didn't even know he was holding be melted away. He certainly didn't have it all figured out now, but he knew he had friends that would be with him through it all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i don't really have much to say about this one other than i think it's my favorite chapter yet. the fourth chapter is in the works so stay tuned (:
> 
> lastly, thank you @quietmarvel for helping me edit this!
> 
> social media:  
> @ martyfromthebasement on ig  
> @ goodmanhaircrew on twitter

**Author's Note:**

> hello and welcome! i'm not sure if you can tell, but this is my first fic. feel free to point out any mistakes, and don't hesitate to give feedback!
> 
> social media:  
> @/martyfromthebasement on ig  
> @/goodmanhaircrew on twitter


End file.
